Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am condsidering doing a science project on ant repellents. Does anyone know if cyanide can repell ants/bugs?

Here are a couple of websites you can look at:

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/ ... mcomm.html
Describes the different types of chemical signals used by insects

http://www.eeb.utoronto.ca/4Admin/Admin ... cyanide%22
This is a scientific paper, so you might find the language a bit dense, but it describes a caterpillar that secretes hydrogen cyanide, possibly as an ant-repellent. Feel free to ask questions if you have trouble with it.

http://experts.about.com/q/Lawns-725/Ants.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _ants.html
Describe other organic pesticides that can be used to repel ants. A Google search ("chemical repels ants") also turned up mint, pennyroyal, cayenne pepper, cloves, and cinnamon as ant-repellents.

Hope this helps!
Sonia

Thank you. The websites are extremely useful.

Do you/anyone else know if cyanogenic glycoside, or amygdalin, will have any effect in repelling ants? I know if consumed by humans cyanogenic glycoside changes into hydrogen cyanide. will the same be for insects?

I found nothing that says that cyanogenic glycoside repels insects. That doesn't exclude it as a possibility, however. One site did state that it "deters herbivory," and another said that cyanogenic glucoside is a good insect repellent (http://www.spps.kvl.dk/cgi-bin/SPPSread ... n&Vol=0503).
HCN is also very toxic to insects (http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5042E/x5042E0b.htm), so it is likely that cyanogenic glycoside would be as well, since it breaks down into HCN.

I did find a scientific article that describes cyanides: http://www.connovation.co.nz/assets/Doc ... ycoside%22 It describes the effect of cyanides on animals, but not insects.

Sonia

I've pretty much found what I was looking for

Thank you very much for the help!